Multimerisation of A disintegrin and metalloprotease protein-17 (ADAM17) is mediated by its EGF-like domain.

A disintegrin and metalloprotease protein 17 (ADAM17) is a transmembrane zinc dependent metalloprotease. The catalytic activity of the enzyme results in the shedding of a broad range of membrane proteins. The release of the corresponding ectodomains induces a switch in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. So far there is not much information about the molecular mechanism of ADAM17 activation available. As for other transmembrane proteases, multimerisation may play a critical role in the activation and function of ADAM17. The present work demonstrates that ADAM17 indeed exists as a multimer in the cell membrane and that this multimerisation is mediated by its EGF-like domain.